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The Republican message during the 2012 elections was fairly specific: this one was for all the marbles. Americans were witnessing -- and participating in -- a once-in-a-generation showdown that would, once and for all, dictate the direction of the country in the near future. It was, we were told, the most spectacularly important, history-changing, life-setting election any of us have ever seen. Some insisted 2012 would be the most critical election cycle for the United States since 1860 -- the election before the Civil War.
And then the results came in. President Obama won with relative ease; Senate Democrats expanded their majority; House Democrats gained seats; and Republicans said, "On second thought...."
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who was on his party's national ticket and whose plan was enveloped into his party's platform, will unveil the House Republican budget plan today, outlining the GOP's vision for the near future on taxes, spending, deficit reduction, and social-insurance programs. In this one document, we learn quite a bit about the specific scope of Republican priorities.
And while the plan itself won't be publicly available until later this morning, Ryan has another Wall Street Journal op-ed pitching his plan. I'll have more detailed coverage once the budget is released, but there are five broader takeaways to keep in mind as the debate begins in earnest.
1. Ryan's budget is far-right plan with magic asterisks: Instead of paying any attention to the results of the 2012 elections, Ryan is right back where he was before -- pitching a far-right plan predicated on scrapping Medicare, slashing public investments, and giving the wealthy massive tax cuts. That's not what the American mainstream wants? Ryan doesn't give a damn. As has been the case, he pays for the tax cuts with smoke and mirrors, promising new revenue from "reforms" that only he can see.
2. Ryan's budget is breathtakingly hypocritical : For all the GOP rhetoric about how President Obama isn't "serious" about fiscal responsibility, Ryan relies heavily on the same Obama policies Republicans claim to hate. Specifically, the new House Republican budget takes full advantage of Obama's tax hikes on the wealthy and savings from the Affordable Care Act -- the same policies Ryan and his cohorts claim to hate.
3. Ryan's budget prioritizes balanced budgets for no apparent reason: The point behind the new GOP plan is to balance the budget within 10 years. Why? No one has any idea, and most credible economists believe such efforts might even do severe damage to the economy. Ryan's op-ed said his rushed efforts to eliminate the deficit that Republicans built up during the Bush/Cheney era will help thanks to low interest rates -- but as Ryan should know, interest rates are already extremely low.
4. Ryan's budget is needlessly confrontational : There's simply no way Senate Democrats would ever endorse such a far-right budget plan, so there's no real point to Ryan's vanity exercise. It will put House Republicans on record in support of a fairly radical vision -- which the American mainstream will find outrageous -- but to no practical end.
5. Ryan's budget makes Democrats very happy: With Democrats hoping for significant gains in the 2014 midterms, they'll need a potent weapon to use against Republican incumbents. Had Ryan moderated his budget plan and left Medicare alone, Democrats would need to look elsewhere for rhetorical ammunition. Instead, the Wisconsin congressman has done the DCCC a big favor.
Indeed, the only folks happier than the GOP base today are the Democrats planning the party's 2014 strategy.
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Ryan's budget then doesn't represent a proposal. What could be its purpose? Preening for the cameras? Mom used to say, "An empty barrel makes a lot of noise".
Precisely. Your comment made me think of my own grandmother's advice "Make your head save your heels;" something that the GOP will regret come 2014 when they're burning the soles off their shoes scrambling around for favorable constituents.
Scored in one. Basic behavioral psych: this plan is the one thing in his life that has gotten him national attention, up to and including a VP spot on the Republican ticket. Without it, he'd never get a single invite to the Sunday morning talking head circuit. Instead, he has the whole Washington pundit class fawning over him.
More addictive than heroin.
Spot on, Sessions. Behavior can be described and explained as an aspect of motivation. The difference lies in the motive: is the politician driven to serve the public, or achieve personal success?
In the case of Congressman Ryan, pretty sure we know which way this airbag blows.
Classic line from "Top Gun" - "Don't write a check your ass can't keep" (I may be paraphrasing) can now be "Don't write a check your magical asterisks can't keep".
"Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash."
ty DC :)
To be fair, in Congress, preening for the cameras, puffing and posturing about "principle" is the sole and complete purpose of putting a budget--which necessarily means it will also serve as the other side's punching bag. The reason House Republicans and the hoi polloi Fox-toxxed blog commenters have been so furious that the Senate Democrats won't pass a budget is that it deprives them of their punching bag. The reason Senate Republicans won't let the Senate Democrats pass one is that they know that if they did, their hydrophobic brethren in the House--deep inside their delusion that they represent the will of the majority--would be gleefully punching away at things that are actually incredibly popular.
I believe the original line, spoken by Maverick's commanding officer, went like this: "Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash." I'd say that the line fits Congressman Ryan quite aptly. As D.C. Sessions posted above, Ryan's budget has become his entrée into the big time and he's not about to let it go.
Years in the political wilderness and two consecutive presidential election drubbings have apparently failed to convince the Republican Party to embrace anything other than a radical, far-right, extreme conservative agenda. These political hacks are trying their best to sabotage our flourishing economic recovery just as it is beginning to show signs of lasting promise. Don't these guys know the election has been over for four months? No voter or ordinary American is joining in the GOP's offensive push for Euro-style austerity and extreme social agenda that will very likely wreck the country and take us back decades. Has there ever been a more tone deaf political organization?? progressive
Don't worry they have the religuluous zealots along with the pimps in the pulpits preaching "The Gospel of Prosperity" which means that you're on your own and its your fault if you're not better off. The election has been over but scaring the sheeple into paranoia about "other" (the gubr'mint taking your guns, Latinos, African-Americans, et.al) still hasn't worn out it's welcome with that crowd. Exhibit A - the trolls that post here.
The fact that Lyin' Ryan is still dressing up the same crap that he lost on the last time, just goes to prove that neither he nor his party "get it", they figure if they just "dress it well" WE won't notice that it's still "lipstick on a pig".
What says that it is not your fault if you are not doing better? People from all walks of life have become well off through hard work, innovation and a little luck. People need to stop whining and depending on the government to do their work for them. Who is going to get you where you want to go? The government? It will give a person a meager living and that is where socialists want to keep you. I prefer to depend on myself, make my own choices and do what I can. If a catastrophe happens, sure the government needs to be there for that safety net, but people are choosing to use that safety net instead of relying on themselves.
What about those individuals who work hard and long hours for the people you reference and are not paid enough to support their families? They need assistance with food and housing, so if their employees paid them a sustainable wage they could survive without the support of government. What about those who are disabled and can not work, what do you do with them force them to live in the streets and eat out of trash cans? What about children whose parents can not afford health care, do you stand by and watch them grow sicker. What about Veterans who have given their limbs for your safety and can not get a job, now you want to deny them assistance? How about passing the American Jobs Act which will get people back to work and off of government assistance. How about the successful individuals you reference hiring people instead of taking all their profits and investing them in the Cayman Islands etc.
Some say Paul Ryan is the intellectual leader of the Republican party
Some say Paul Ryan is a gibbering simpleton.
I say they're both right.
If this gibbering simpleton is the intellectual leader of the Republican party, its time to get a new party.
Let us remember,Ryan is a number one taker. His main aim in life is to destroy the middle class and poor, enrich the richest and foist his extreme social values on this country. The GOP lost and will never win another presidential election if this nonsense continues. He has never held a real job and has lived off the dole for his entire adult life. He has no trouble accepting the salary and benefits we provide but will deny them to others. Ryan and his ideas are from another century and different planet
Points 4 and 5 are the important ones here. What Democrats need to do is keep promoting sane policy. Don't demonize the other side that will only further entrench those people who's electability relies on their being labeled 'anti-liberal'. Keep pointing out where Republican policies harm large groups of average Americans, women, immigrants, the LGBT community and non-Christian religions, but do it from a framework of American values like equality and freedom, not as a philosophical attack on the beliefs of others. Democrats have a very clearly marked path to continued victory in upcoming national elections, if they resist the temptation to politically 'destroy' their opponent. Let them handle that job by themselves.
Very astute thinking, DougW. Remain objective and analytical, and let the fringe detach itself.
I must admit you're right. It's fun and easy to mock Republicans, but your approach is far smarter and more constructive.
It will put House Republicans on record in support of a fairly radical vision -- which the American mainstream will find outrageous -- but to no practical end.
The House should absolutely bring this to a vote, and get its members on record. Outraging the American mainstream is a practical end in itself.
Doug: You are right, but there is a segment of us that will always act butt hurt every time something that involves a negotiation is done. This is easy, only a true die hard supports such mumbo jumbo, but budgets and other issues require a consensus.
Where is the proof that balancing the budget hurts Americans. The real hurt to Americans is to our children and grandchildren who will at some point have to pay for our exorbitant government spending. It certainly wouldn't hurt us to sacrifice a little. But no one seems to give a flying flip about them. Our excess waste is burying them.
Jes: It's quite simple. To "balance the budget" you have to destroy Medicare, which is what Ryan is trying to do. If people want to trade Medicare for no deficit,, rich people might favor that, then fine. The thing is people don't want to make that trade, conservatives and progressive people can clearly see that hanging old folks out to dry is not a positive...
jes33
By "our excess waste" are you talking about the retirement generation sucking trillions out of the nation to pay for drug benefits and the last three months of life extension costs?
Other forms of blatant waste include the $20.2 BILLION a year we spent on air conditioning tents in Iraq and Afghanistan, and worse was the fact that a program to insulate the tents with polyurethane foam showed a 92% reduction in waste and would have reduced the fuel requirements by 11,000 trucks off the roads - meaning less troops and contractors required to protect those trucks, but the military never even tried to save this money.
So before we talk about waste let's remember that unfunded drug benefit programs for the retirement generation, and military spending are a magnitude greater in size than any other government programs, and cutting taxes was a priority while both of these costs were clearly rising.
The choices made were less about spending, and more about embarrassingly poor planning, that is the real legacy we are passing on to the next generation, stunningly poor planning and selfish tax cutting in the face of demands for more services by one group of citizens.
And now this same generation wants us all to forget how badly they planned, and how the only way to change our collective fate is for the next generation to cut investments in their future while we protect the retirement generation's benefits, and here's the kicker, our loss is their gain and we should suffer because it is too late to change their retirement benefits - they planned for the benefits but didn't plan on costs while they cut taxes and government programs, yup that is some legacy.
jes - The fastest path to balancing the budget is to CREATE MORE TAXPAYERS (i.e., putting people to work). We have a HUGE backlog of structural deferred maintenance that has accrued since Ronald Reagan and his successors made "tax" a dirty word. We INVEST funds in revamping our infrastructure and retooling our workforce, while also providing incentives for businesses to develop emerging technologies.
I'm sure you think that businesses will start hiring once all their taxes are eliminated, but unfortunately offering a carrot doesn't work when the rabbit is sitting on a mountain of carrots. Better to use the stick of higher taxation with credits for practices that actually benefit Americans.
Our great, great granchildren will be living in this recession if we try to "save" our way out this mess. We need to structurally change our economy and system of governance by yanking it out of the control of the .1%. You just play into their hands with your drivel.
if nothing else, this ought to make the average voter wonder why in the hell is a republican majority in control of the house of representatives.
It ought to -- but probably won't.
Nope. Ain't gonna lose enough votes to matter.
Very astute observations. Friends and family that I know who always vote Republican do so for several of these reasons (anti-abortion being the primary one, they are often one-issue voters, and would rather see the entire country ruined than one fetus killed, illogical as that is).
But you forgot a VERY big reason as well.....gerrymandering. It's why Dems got more votes and yet the GOP still kept the House. And why it's going to be very, very hard to win it away from them again.
Gerrymandering multiplies the effect of Republican voters, but doesn't change the odds of those voters changing their perceptions or their votes. In fact, gerrymandering actually makes a small reduction in Republican loyalty much more likely to tip an election precisely because the electoral margins are reduced in Red districts to make it possible to have more of them.
The point behind the new GOP plan is to balance the budget within 10 years. Why?
Ryan answers this in the cited article:
Yet the most important question isn't how we balance the budget. It's why. A budget is a means to an end, and the end isn't a neat and tidy spreadsheet. It's the well-being of all Americans. By giving families stability and protecting them from tax hikes, our budget will promote a healthier economy and help create jobs. Most important, our budget will reignite the American Dream, the idea that anyone can make it in this country.
....Because when we abandon those pesky old-school rules like math and facts, all voices will be raised in blessing a great goodness, and flowers will grow from our ass.
I guess once the trained monkey learns a trick he has a hard time learning a new one.
Or do his lips just move that way even without the Koch brothers' hand not being up his ass?
what's the matter, Benen?
don't you see how SERIOUS Paul Ryan is?
after all, that's what the village says...
Paul Ryan is a SERIOUS thinker.
yeah.
right.
whatever.
Paul Ryan is soooooo 2010. The world has moved on, so should he.
If the Democrats want to take back the House they need to communicate a simple concept if you are you under 55 you are going to pay more for less;
And those of over 55 who overwhelming vote Republican are in favor of this unbalanced approach to investing in our collective future.
Much more than just paying more for health insurance, Ryan repeals the ACA protections, which would likely mean people simply cant buy any. Ever had a cancer... forget about it... high blood pressure... heart disease... arthritis... Anyone with these and other conditions will be subject to profits, which is perverse and unique to America...
The truly strange part of Ryan's version of repeal of ACA is that he keeps the savings projected for it to be in force as a keystone element in his budget! Now that is a spectacular bit of intellectual dishonesty.
Only in a Randian world. Should have read Hobbes.
Not only that Robert, he keeps the taxes! He keeps the tanning tax, the cadillac plan tax, and the uber-rich tax. How come Republicans give him a pass on that...
It isn't just folks under 55 who are affected by "Ryan Vouchercare." Medicare for people over that age will soon be gone, at least in its present form.
What do you think will happen when those under 55 start griping about "greedy, entitled seniors with their 'Cadillac' Medicare coverage?" You don't think that there will be political pressure to get rid of traditional Medicare?
mp: It's more than that even. Right now Medicare has clout, they have the bodies. As each year go by, the clout shrinkens under Ryans plan, and eventually no provider is going to take Medicare if they can't deliver sick people. It's not a slow death, it's steady...
People are forgetting that independent, courageous, hard working people in this country are all for Ryan's proposals. Mainly because we haven't seen a budget that balances the budget coming from the democrats. They want the government to balance its budget and quit borrowing so much money. There are still almost half the people who want cuts in spending. Sadly, we have reached that tipping point where more are on government programs than not. We cannot sustain that. The minority that is still independent of government handouts cannot pay the bills for everyone no matter how much the dems want them to. People need to wake up to the fact that our country is in a downward spiral. No matter how we got to this point, we have to address it. The dems just want to keep blaming the past. It is time for the blame game to end and start taking responsibility. It truly doesn't matter HOW or WHO's fault it is that we got here. Congress has voted for all the spending and the dems have been in power for quite awhile. Those dems on the hill who want to say "Bush's wars" were there and voted for those wars. They heard and acted and voted using the same intelligence. We are here in this situation NOW. What are they going to do about it? They have no plan to get us out of this mess. At least the GOP is putting forth proposals to stop the spending growth. The dems have not and do not intend to put forth any such proposals. And dems keep wanting more taxes. They got a substantial tax increase. They can't say Republicans have not compromised. Where is the compromise from the WH.
Jes: Maybe we can all pitch in and send you back to talking points school.
Yes it does matter how and who's fault it is, because it is those policies that got us into this mess. You need revenue and spending addressed to balance a budget. The problem with the Republican point of view, they are protecting the wealthy and the Corporations on the backs of the elderly, disabled, Veterans, children and the poor.
Have you given up your mortgage interest deduction lately? That is a government hand out.
jes33,
I responded to you above, but let me it clear again.
By cuts you are talking about the current generation giving up their future to pay for the retirement generation.
This privileged group of people want us to cut our investments in the future so we can pay for their retirement programs, and the Republicans are in on the con by suggesting that this group of over 55 will be exempt from all cuts and program changes - works wonders at the polls and it is the only age demographic they won in the last election.
Our entire federal government spending looks like this:
Pensions/Social Security/Retirement: 21.6%
Healthcare Spending (Medicare et al): 22.29%
Defense Spending: 23.77%
So that is 67.66% of all spending.
Unemployment accounted for 2.87%
Other "Welfare programs": 9.04%
Interest cost for past overspending including tax cuts for the retirement generation is now : 5.92%
So the rest of EVERYTHING else from medical research to education to space exploration to environmental monitoring to national parks to transportation investment - basically to our collective future is only: 14.5%
Since defense is not to be cut and retirement generation costs are not to be cut we will keep reducing the less that 14¢ per dollar spent on our future down to zero to make everyone happy.
And here's the best part, the Republican future is to turn all the biggest ticket spending into private sector boondoggles, handing over trillions of dollars for retirement savings and healthcare vouchers into the hands of the private sector, who are to believe will do a better job at providing services while also turning your retirement in to a profit center. You think the government is bad at the DMV, try getting your cable service fixed on rainy day.
Compromise??? We've already compromised by assuring our future will come at the expense of our past generation who took tax cuts and demands full retirement benefits.
Have you no shame?
Yes, Van. That's why the Republicans' "no new taxes any time, any place, for any reason" philosophy is so shockingly irresponsible.
Until 1993, we were very gradually raising tax rates for SS and Medicare so that those who would be receiving it would be paying a large share of the freight. Administrations of both parties subscribed to the notion that slow increases in the tax rates and the ceilings for taxes on these programs would account for the baby boom generation retirements around this time.
Had the Republicans not stopped these almost unnoticeable increases in their tracks in 1994, at the most crucial juncture, trillions in extra revenues for these programs would have been available to support current payments. We wouldn't have this problem now.
Republicans as the part of "fiscal responsibility?" Not so much.
I think you are missing a key point.
Parse that statement out and see if you can find any sense in it.
The Republican plan is no changes for anyone over 55 years old, big changes for everyone under the age of 55.
So how are the "whiners from 50 years ago flat brok and looking for a free lunch"? if these are the same people over the age of 55 who will get full benefits while those under 55 will see increased retirement ages and healthcare programs converted to vouchers?
Van Roberto - If you are over 55 YOU and YOUR GENERATION are the takers here.
And the Republicans only one age demographic, hint it wasn't the people under 55.
I worked from the time I was 16 paying into Social Security and Medicare. I worked 10 to 12 hours a day from the time I was 18 and my employers proceeded to make me a salaried employee. The companies I worked for did not offer 401K until my last employer and that took a beating in 2007 and 2008. I am not looking for a free lunch but rather the funds I invested into the Social Security and Medicare programs.
Jes33, I respect that you are passionate about your perspective. First, President Obama has a plan on the White House site. The Democrats have a budget they can't get it anywhere in Congress because the Senate Minority(Republicans) keep doing this thing called the filibuster. I caution you on the use of language like hardworking, courageous, people. I work very hard, I don't depend on government assistance. But my salary hasn't increased as the cost of living has, you need to follow the money. Obama isn't trying to raise taxes on everyone, he is trying to get corporations and wealthy investors to pay more of their fair share. Corporations are what is ruining America. They pay for politicians, lobbyists, etc. They are trying to get rid of Unions because that is the only bargaining power people have against corporations. The America of the 50's had more small businesses and small communities where people knew each other and helped and supported their communities. How many people know you in the grocery store that you are a patron too. I don't know anyone where I shop. This is the power and evil of the corporate world. Look what happens to average American's who work 50 - 60 years for one company, hoping to have a nice retirement and then they get screwed over by the very company that they've dedicated their life to. The business declares bankruptcy, and the management company that comes into dismantle the business gets all the profits and the workers get nothing. Most people would agree with you that there is a great deal of waste in government spending. Friends and contributors get contracts, jobs, etc. from politicians. This is the level playing field thought process. I'll give you a personal example. I'm a hard working, single mother due to an accident (just incase you think it was a choice) I've worked with very little supervision because I have a great deal of integrity. I have a very specific job that I do. When a new Governor was elected, suddenly I got a new supervisor. The job wasn't posted, so I could apply, it was given - that's right, no interview or anything, just given to someone who's parents gave to the Governor's campaign. Now please tell me how that has anything to do with my ability or not to get advancement? This is the crap that happens to people over and over. The reason people discuss the fact that Bush got us into this financial situation is because, the same political party that had the power got us in this situation, so why would we believe that they could improve our situation with the same policies? They can't. The job creators did not create any jobs! I can't run for political office because I'm not wealthy, that isn't the way it used to be in this country. The rich are taking over and they are not going to give anything up.
Rachel Maddow is a shill for the left. Her entire way of thinking is just mental. The very fact that she insist on being introduced as the smartest woman in the world shows the extent of her mental disorder.
Wow. That was useful.
Yes, it's just terrible how she uses that "fact" and "truth" stuff to debunk the right wing's craziness.
Isn't it great the have a ten year plan? In fact we have a ten year plan that started thirteen years ago, and if we continue this same plan for ten more years, at that time, as lucky as it seems we will then have another ten year plan to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of the first ten year plan.
Paul (Ayn Rand) Ryan.
There's a reason Republicans and Ryan aren't acting like losers: because the goddamned cowardly Democrats ARE acting like losers.
Until the Democrats learn to use the power they've been given by the public to smack the shhit out of the Republicans, Republicans will keep bulldozing their way and intentionally creating havoc on the country. At this point, obnoxious Republican behavior is as much the fault of spineless Democrats refusing to discipline the bullies as it is Republicans' innate obnoxious authoritarianism.
And what idiots aren't understanding is that Ryan and Republicans making demands so far right means the always Dependably Useless Democrats and their nauseating adult-in-the-room act will just have to go that much further right to get themselves the always-desired "compromise." The stupidity never ends.
How long does it take to learn this? It's not like the Washington press is going to call out the Republicans. When will Democrats and liberals catch on?
It's time for Obama and the Senate Democrats to start acting like they won. Because they did.
Working hard towards a ban, I see.
Please continue, Governor.
Well, Roberto is a diick but it is the truth that Obama has been getting his ass handed to him. Obama refuses to learn about the sort of personality that populates and dominates the GOTea, and he continually gives away the store. President Pushover is what we have and the opportunity he's wasted to reverse the direction from the failed conservative ideas and polices of the last 30+ years is epic. My guess is he'll go down as one of the biggest failed Presidents in history due to his inability to learn about the people who would hand him has head on a plate if they could.
Well wasn't that ironic? DisgustedWithItAll just talks about Obama being unable to deal with unhinged extremists, and then here comes Roberto, talking about himself in the 3rd person. He seems to be very, very angry at the Normals.
Good luck with that, buddy.
Van Roberto
This is not a party problem. This is a generation problem. From you postings you look like the one who is in the class that will be taking.
As for those of us under 55 we know we will pay for your generation, and at the same time we will see all programs cut - never lived in the delusion that any of these programs would be there for us.
As for fending for ourselves, yes that is the pretty picture of a hollowed out future America paying for our increasingly older citizens sucking the life out of our great democracy.
And the Republicans are demanding the same firewall of protection for this group as the Democrats, so get a clue.
Sell you partisan b.s. somewhere else.
He's not selling anything, Steve. If he were, then he'd make sense and avoid all the cliche's that go with Teabaggery. Regardless of politics, it's not uncommon for people to lash out when they feel helpless, or to attack the very things they hate in themselves.
So I recommend pity. And if that doesn't work, just laugh at Teh Crazy. Because you have to admit, it's pretty funny stuff.
Van Roberto - Yup Taker.
Your FICA contributions were for your parents, your aunts, uncles, their friends and everyone older than you.
Our generation will be paying for your retirement and medical expenses, keep pissing us off, and see what happens.
And your delusion that your generation, who woke up on 3rd base, think you all hit a tripple.
Your parents, the greatest generation, won a war, build a solid middled class, lived in a Union labor world of high taxes, and the gap between highest earners and lowest earners was 30 to 1 not 300+ to 1, all that build a sold middle class that made us the envy of the world.
Your parents built the roadways that connected our modern economy, increased college attendance, advanced science and generally handed you an amazing opportunity to make this next century America's greatest.
And what did you do with this solid foundation?
You gave yourselves a tax cut, you squandered the peace dividend at the end of the cold war and your poster boy, George W Bush, took us immediately off the balanced budget he inherited, started a war with a nation that cost us TRILLIONS and yet we never found a single WMD.
Your generation gift to the Nation - Now we are at war with shadows and paying TRILLIONS, but somehow it never dawned on anyone that we would have to pay for this defense industry boondoogle.
Your generation still controls the Senate with 89 members that are baby boomers or older, you've had 16 years in the White House, you've run the House for 30 years and now you think you are entitled for take some more. From Newt Gingrich to Denny Hastert to Nancy Pelosi to John Boehner there has been a steady stream of baby boomer era leaders running the Congress for 30 years.
You cling to your partisan non-sense to justify the lies while it is you and your generation that will drain us dry. And when the chance comes to make good, to face the music, to man-up and do the right thing, you whine that it is someone else's fault.... nope you and your generation own this mess.
Our next generation will clean up your mess but we'd really appreciate it if you'd quit telling us the problem is partisan politics. Its just math. And some commonsense.
It would be better for "We the People" to invest in our youth but instead we'll have to change your diapers.
Can you please stop complaining about everything while we take care of things, and this doesn't even include the other messes like the ticking time-bomb of environment issues, the squandering of natural resources for 30 years, and outrageous state of our vital infrastructure that is falling apart.
You did done leave us with nearly an impossible task. Now stop pissing on us while get to the task of building a new country in hollowed-out shell you left us, and can the partisan talk, its getting on our nerves.